The maintenance team, made up of the Cableway’s internal staff, riggers and equipment experts from Switzerland, completed over 400 hours of work. The biggest jobs included the replacement of the heel and haul ropes, testing and replacement (where required) of the load-bearing components on the cabins, the mechanical overhaul of the rotating floors and cabin door mechanisms in the cable cars and maintenance of the hydraulic and brake system.
Streicher says: "The heel and haul ropes are 2.4km long and together weigh 10 tonnes so a lot of man-power is needed to manoeuvre these. Although we work with big, often heavy equipment and parts, our to-do list needs to be completed with finesse and accuracy. Throughout maintenance, we are required to adhere to a strict schedule. The biggest challenge of this year’s maintenance was navigating the unpredictable winter weather which was not unusual for work to continue in rain, wind and extreme cold."
Parker says that safety is of paramount importance to the attraction. "Annual maintenance is a non-negotiable and ensures we can continue to safely and efficiently showcase our beautiful mountain to over one million visitors each year – a responsibility, and honour that we do not take lightly."
"During the five-week shutdown, we also took the opportunity to improve the visitor experience. The Café has seen a minor overhaul with the installation of new ovens and general maintenance was done in the Ticket Office and retail areas.
"Core IT service and networking upgrades were completed and, in order to provide updated information to visitors, a digital signboard has been installed at the Lower Station queuing area. Improvements have also been made to the ticketing system which is currently undergoing further testing before rollout," concluded Parker.
